2022-10-24 Starting pitchers who, on the occasion of their birthday, were gifted 15 runs of support by their teammates

 

Thanks to John Rickert of Terre Haute, Indiana for this week’s theme and questions

MONDAY  —24-Oct

Q.  What former Diamondback was the most recent pitcher to both strike out twenty hitters in a game and throw a no-hitter in another?

Hint: #1  He is one of only three pitchers known to have thrown more than two immaculate innings.

Hint: #2  One of his most distinguishing characteristics is his heterochromia iridum.

A.  MAX SCHERZER  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  He threw a no-hitter 20-Jun-2015 & K’d 20 11-May-2016.  Randy Johnson was the first (and only other) pitcher in this century to notch this combo.

-  #1  An immaculate inning is one where the pitcher strikes out all three batters on a total of 9 pitches.  Scherzer's innings were the 5^th on 14-May-2017(2), the 6^th on 05-Jun-2018 & the 6^th on 12‑Sep‑2021.  The throwers who thrice threw immaculate inning are Scherzer, Chris Sale & Sandy Koufax.

-  #2  Heterochromia iridum is a condition where each of a person’s eyes have a different color.  Max has one blue eye and one brown, but for a brief, but fantastic moment in time, he added a 3^rd color.  Read it here.

FCR -  Preston Salisbury, Starkville, Mississippi

Incorrect guesses:  Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling

 

 

TUESDAY  —25-Oct

Q.  Who holds the major league record for most consecutive strikeouts without issuing a walk?

Hint: #1  The last time he pitched to his brother-in-law, he gave up a homer on an 0-2 pitch.

Hint: #2  A former number one draft pick, he later signed the largest free-agent contract for a pitcher.

A.  GERRIT COLE  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  He struck out 61 consecutive batters in 2021 between bases on balls.

-  #1  Pitched to brother-in-law SFG’s Brandon Crawford 22-May-2018.  Crawford hit a 2-run HR for the Giants’ only runs in an11-2 loss.  It wasn’t the first time they faced each other in a game, but it as the last.  Crawford’s sister Amy is Cole's wife.

-  #2  On 18-Dec-2019 he signed a 9-year $324 million contract with NYY.  He was the first overall pick in 2011 by PIT.

FCR -  Rob Sheinkopf, Las Vegas

Incorrect guesses:  Jose Berrios, Corbin Burnes, Steven Strasbourg

 

 

WEDNESDAY  —26-Oct

Q.  Who set the Major League record for the longest streak of seasons with 10 or more wins and 9 or fewer losses?

Hint: #1  He won the Comeback Player of the Year award the same year he won the Hutch award.

Hint: #2  He didn’t hit his first major-league home run until he was thirty-four years old and thereafter hit one every other season of his career.

A.  TIM HUDSON  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  He had 7 straight such years 1999-2005.  Zack Greinke matched that mark 2011 thru 2017.

-  #1  He won both those awards in 2010.  The Hutch Award is given each year to a Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the honor, courage and dedication of well-respected MLB player & manager Fred Hutchinson, both on and off the field.

-  #2  His HR total was 4 in his 17 year career.  His 3^rd career HR had some help.

FCR -  Leonard Levin, Providence

Incorrect guesses:  Warren Spahn, Jon Lester, Steve Carlton, Gaylord Perry, Bret Saberhagen, Rick Reuschel, Tommy John, Whitey Ford, Clayton Kershaw, CC Sabathia, Hoyt Wilhelm

 

 

THUSDAY  —27-Oct

Q.  Among Vanderbilt University alumni, which pitcher won the most games in the majors?

Hint: #1  In his debut as a Yankee, he took a no-hitter into the 9^th inning.

Hint: #2  The first of his two career home runs was a grand slam.

A.  SCOTT SANDERSON  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Sanderson won 163 & David Price is 2^nd w/157.

-  #1  1^st NYY G = 10-Apr-1991.  DET leadoff hitter, Tony Phillips got their lone hit, a double.

-  #2  GS = 11-Sep-1982 vs. CHC’s Randy Martz.  His 2^nd & final HR was a solo shot.

FCR -  Matt Clairmont, New Minas, Nova Scotia

Incorrect guesses:  Sonny Gray, David Price, Stan Bahnsen, Doyle Alexander, Al Leiter, A.J. Burnett

 

 

FRIDAY  —28-Oct

Q.  Who threw the first documented immaculate inning in extra innings?

Hint: #1  In his second year in the majors, he led the league in complete games with a total that would have led the majors in any season in the last four decades

Hint: #2  After pitching his first two games in the major leagues he refused to pitch batting practice and was suspended then released.

Hint: #3  His sartorial choices contributed to his nickname.

A.  HOLLIS “Sloppy” THURSTON  [DD.com Bio]

-  Ans.  His immaculate inning was the 12th inning on 22-Aug-1923.

-  #1  He had 28 CG in 1924.  Rick Langford in 1980 was the last pitcher with 28 CG.  Langford was a victim of Billy Martin’s sadistic overuse of starters.

-  #2  After just about a month into the 1923 season with the Browns and after only 2 appearances, Thurston was suspended by manager Lee Fohl for refusing to pitch batting practice.  He was immediately waived and then claimed by CHW in May.

-  #3  Thurston was always neatly outfitted, so his nickname is completely ironic, a bit like calling the largest Sumo competitor “Tiny”.

FCR -  Chandler Vinson, Knoxville

Incorrect guesses:  John Clarkson

 

 

SATURDAY   —29-Oct

Q.  Which ex-pitcher had his his post-playing career as a letter carrier thwarted because so many people wanted to stop and talk baseball with him.

Hint: #1  He twice had 16-0 complete game shutout wins

Hint: #2  He pitched eight years in the majors, all for one team, but had five different managers, one of them in two separate stints.

A.  TOM BREWER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Following his postal stint, most of Brewer’s post-baseball career was spent as a probation officer for the South Carolina Probation Office, from which he retired after 25 years.

-  #1  Brewer’s 2 16-0 W : 27-May-1955 & 03-Sep-1956(2), the former being his 1^st W that year.

-  #2  His BOS Mgrs. Were Lou Boudreau (1954), Pinky Higgins (1955-59, 1960-61), Rudy York (1959), Billy Jurges (1959) & Del Baker (1960).

FCR -  Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Ron Guidry, Carlos May, Tom Hall

 

 

SUNDAY  —30-Oct

Q.  Which BLTR Auburn alum was instrumental in possibly preventing the Yankees from breaking their own record?

Hint: #1  One of his Topps cards refers to him both as “Nick” and “Willie”.

Hint: #2  He was an inaugural enshrinee in his sport-rich county’s Sports Hall of Fame and was inducted into his state’s Sports Hall of Fame a few years later.

A.  WILLARD NIXON  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.    He had attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute (later Auburn University) to play baseball for the Tigers in 1947-48.  He batted left and threw right.  In 1954, NYY finished 2^nd to CLE for the AL pennant, 8.0 G back.  It was the first time in 6 years the Bronx Bombers had not won the AL flag, indeed had not won the WS.  Nixon won all 4 of his starts that year against them in ’54.  Had those not been Sawks’ wins, the Yankees might have been significantly closer to catching the hot, pitching-rich Indians.  His obituaries refer to him as a “Yankee Killer”.

-  #1  His 1953 Topps card #30, has this on the back.

- #2  In 1971, Nixon was among the seven people chosen for the inaugural class of the Rome-Floyd County Sports Hall of Fame then inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.

FCR -  Joseph Cohen, Holden, Massachusetts

Incorrect guesses:  Nick Etten

 

WEEK’S FINALE  —30-Oct

Q.  Which Detroit hurler received the gift of serendipity on his thirtieth birthday?

Hint: #1  Although a Traveler he was born and died in the same town.

Hint: #2  His only career home run came in his third-to-last career at bat.

Hint #3  The second and third batters he faced in the major leagues became Hall of Famers.

Hint: #4  The last two batters he faced in The Bigs also were players now enshrined in Cooperstown.

A.  KYLE “Skinny” GRAHAM  [Wiki Bio] (Not to be confused with Arthur William “Skinny” Graham)

-  Ans.  On 14-Aug-1929, Graham started for DET at home against NYY. 

-  #1  Played for the Little Rock Travelers in 1923, Graham was born and died in Oak Grove, Alabama.

-  #2  HR = came in his third-to-last career AB, in the 2^nd G on 10-Sep-1929(2) at New York, a solo shot to deep RF in the 3^rd off George Pipgras.

-  #3  In his MLB debut on 03-Sep-1924, the 1^st 3 batters Graham faced were Heinie Groh, Frankie Frisch & Ross Youngs.

-  #4  The final two batters he faced in his career, on 12-Sep-1929, were Jimmie Foxx and Al Simmons.

FCR - 

Incorrect guesses:  George Mullin, Hal Newhouser

 

 

WEEKLY THEME –   Starting pitchers who, on the occasion of their birthday, were gifted 15 runs of support by their teammates

 

Pitcher                        Game                          Score                    WAR

Brewer....................... 03-Sep-1956(2)........... 16-0........................ 13.9

Cole........................... 08-Sep-2019.............. 21-1........................ 33.7

Graham..................... 14-Aug-1929.............. 17-13...................... -0.3

Hudson...................... 14-Jul-2006................ 15-12...................... 57.9

Nixon......................... 17-Jun-1953............... 17-1.......................... 9.2

Sanderson................ 22-Jul-1979(2)............. 15-5........................ 27.7

Scherzer.................... 27-Jul-2017................ 15-2........................ 71.7

Thurston................... 02-Jun-1925............... 15-16...................... 15.8

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme –

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Mon     -  Highest strikeout-to-walk ratio of any pitcher (post-1900) with 3,000 or more strikeouts

 

Tues    -  Pitchers with multiple all star appearances for 2 teams other than the team that drafted them

-   Pitchers who have surrendered a first inning home run in a Wild Card game

-   Highest-paid players from the 2022 MLB season

 

Wed     -  Pitchers with a better than .700 win percentage in the AL only (minimum 400 innings)

-   Pitchers who have beaten all 30 MLB teams in the past 10 years

 

Thurs   -  20 game winners who lost 6 or fewer games, in the 2000's

-   Career he leaders among pitchers

 

Fri        -  Pitchers who have given up home runs to 3 straight batters in the same inning

 

Sun      -  Pitchers with various home runs allowed records (most home runs in a game, most consecutive home runs to start a game, most home runs in an inning, All-Star career home run record achieved against pitcher)

 

 

 

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